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5. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. 

1890. 



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ANDREW JOHNSON. 

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P IT r L A D E L P H I A : 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 

1890. 



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Copyright, 1890, by J. B. Ltppincott Company 



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ANDREW JOHNSON. 



Johnson, Andrew, seventeenth president of the 
United States, was born at Raleigh, North Carolina, 
December 29, 1808. His parents were in humble 
circumstances, and his father was drowned while at- 
tempting the rescue of a friend when Andrew was 
but four years old. At the age of len he became a 
tailor's apprentice, and with the help of a fellow- 
workman learned to read. In 1824 he went to Lau- 
rens, South Carolina, to work as a journeyman, and 
two years later emigrated to Greenville, Tennessee. 
There he married Eliza M* Cardie, a young girl of 
education and refinement, who taught him to write, 
and in other ways helped on his studies. He served 
as alderman and then as mayor for several years ; in 
1834 took part in framing the new state constitution; 
and in 1835 and 1839 was elected a member of the 
legislature. In 1840 he was chosen presidential 
elector-at-large, and cast his vote for Martin Van 
Buren. In 1841 he was elected to the state senate, 
and in 1843 ^^ congress. Successive re-elections 
continued him a member of the House of Represent- 
atives until 1853, when he was chosen governor of 



4 AmVDREW JOHNSON. 

the state of Tennessee, and in 1855 he was re-elected 
to that office. In 1857 he was sent to the United 
States senate for six years. There he was an earnest 
advocate of the Homestead Law and other measures 
for the benefit of working-men. He was a sturdy 
opponent of all secession and disunion schemes. 

When the war broke out in 1861 he found himself 
in accord with the administration, and during its 
progress was a leader of the Southern Union men. 
His efforts and sacrifices in behalf of the Union led 
to his selection by President Lincoln as military 
governor of Tennessee (1862), and subsequently to 
his nomination and election to the vice-presidency 
(inaugurated 4th March 1865). On the assassination 
of Lincoln (14th April 1 865) he became president. 
He sought to carry out the policy of his predecessor. 
He retained all the former cabinet in office, and, when 
vacancies occurred, filled them with those known to 
have been Lincoln's personal and political friends. 
But the assassination had provoked a revulsion of 
public feeling. Many who had favoured amnesty, 
leniency, and reconciliation now began to doubt 
whether the states so recently in rebellion could 
safely be restored to a share in the government with- 
out further guarantees. Congressional sentiment 
divided on the question of ' reconstruction.' Presi- 
dent Johnson's policy was first distrusted, and then 
denounced as evincing disloyal sympathies. Irritated 
at the misconstruction of his motives, and resenting 
the charge of disloyalty as insulting, he retorted by 
speeches full of bitter and violent invective. This 
intensified the ill-feeling. Soon a majority of the 



ANDREW JOHNSON. . 

congress, elected with him, were opposing his policy. 
While he urged the readmission of Southern repre- 
sentatives to seats, the congressional majority insisted 
that the Southern states should be kept for a period 
under military government, until they gave more 
proof of loyalty. President Johnson vetoed the con- 
gressional measures ; and the congress passed them 
over his veto. Extra sessions were held to keep him 
in check, and laws passed to limit his power. Finally, 
his removal of Secretary Stanton from the war de- 
partment precipitated a crisis. He claimed the right 
to change his ' constitutional advisers' in cabinet, and 
in return he was charged with violation of the ' Ten- 
ure of Office Act,' in doing so without the consent of 
the senate. Articles of impeachment were presented, 
and he was formally brought to trial before the senate. 
The trial resulted in his acquittal — less than two-thirds 
of the senators voting for conviction (see Impeach- 
ment). Practically this ended the contest, as the 
election of 1868 was close at hand, at which his suc- 
cessor was to be chosen. Retiring from office in 
March 1869, he returned to Tennessee. He was an 
unsuccessful candidate for congress in 1872, but was 
elected to the United States senate in January 1875, 
and again took his seat in that body. On 31st July 
of the same year he died from a stroke of paralysis. 



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